1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to the field of animal husbandry, and more specifically relates to an apparatus for processing soiled litter in a poultry house, a method for processing soiled litter in a poultry house, and a method for doing business using the apparatus and method.
2. Background Art
Commercial poultry operations provide the majority of poultry consumed in the United States. In most turkey and chicken operations, large buildings are used to house the birds as they grow to the desired weight. One aspect of using these buildings is the need to dispose of the excrement (or droppings) produced by the birds. Typically, clean litter is placed on the floor of a poultry house before chicks are delivered. Examples of known litter materials include organic materials such as sawdust, wood chips, and rice hulls, inorganic materials such as sand, and processed materials such as shredded newspaper. The birds leave their droppings on the litter. The litter absorbs most of the liquid content of the poultry waste, and adheres to the solids. Once the birds are removed from the poultry house, the clumped or caked portion of the soiled litter is typically removed from the poultry house and spread on farm land as a fertilizer. The rest of the soiled litter is typically left in the poultry house for the next flock.
While the birds grow, the bacteria and moisture in the droppings that is captured in the litter creates ammonia. Ammonia is a problem because excessive levels of ammonia may cause blindness in young chicks, may stunt their growth, and may decrease their resistance to disease. In addition, the presence of ammonia affects how efficiently the birds convert feed to body weight.
After removing the caked portion of litter after a flock is removed from the poultry house, the remaining litter is typically tilled several times, and the poultry house is then heated until the ammonia and moisture content of the poultry house drop to acceptable levels. This can take several days, with typical times of two weeks to air out a poultry house between flocks. Leaving poultry houses empty for two weeks or more at a time reduces the number of flocks a poultry farmer can raise due to the time that the poultry houses must sit empty to reduce the buildup of ammonia. In addition, high ammonia levels in poultry houses generate an unpleasant smell that is often complained of by neighbors.
Another problem with current poultry operations is the presence of darkling beetles in the litter. These beetles carry bacteria that can spread disease to the flock. Darkling beetles reside in the soiled litter in the poultry house, increasing the risk of spreading disease to the new flock because the beetle population is usually left unchecked.
Without a way to reduce the turnaround time for poultry houses, and for better addressing the problems of bacteria, moisture, ammonia, darkling beetles, and other pests, the poultry industry will continue to suffer undue losses associated with the drawbacks in the prior art discussed above.